Time for a little update. ‘Echostains’ itself is going well, many are reading but, not many are commenting – don’t be shy come forward and show yourselves! ‘Bookstains’ my other blog is coming along alright, its early days yet, but I am enjoying doing it. Although I keep saying it, I really do need to put a piece of art work on here from time to time. So here you are – I give you ‘Euphoria Borealis’ (or Belly Laugh) which was the last painting for my graduation exhibition. I had just completed a 10,000 word Dissertation, a 5000 word one about my personal project (‘Echostains’) which included 10 large paintings and 2 x 500 word essays as well as course work. Wouldn’t you be laughing? Of course I have much more recent work, it’s just a case of getting around to scanning some sketchbook stuff or photographing the bigger pieces, but I am determined to do it!

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As for my altered book which has disappeared yet again….one day I shall actually finish it! I will have to revise the way I have documented this book. I think the best way would be to make a gallery especially for it, so each page is linked with its own artist reference (because the project is an art project, underpinned with art history) and each pages should follow the other, like in a real book. Lol! I can see me making a blog just for my altered book!!!….not a bad idea

The material for my teapot articles are getting a bit tougher to find. My favorite one lately is the making of the chocolate teapot. I shall carry on though. There’s no shortage of material for the weird and wacky design section either, so I will keep that going. Some sections, like places are now a thing of the past, but this year we are hoping to go to new places nothing planned yet – except to see Iggy Pop in London in May, but do hope to fit a couple of exhibitions in whilst we’re there.

Just a quick post tonight. I know it’s not Spring – nor anywhere near it, but I just couldn’t wait to show you this lovely teapot made of cake! I’ve seen teapot biscuits but I’ve never seen teapot cakes before. If you would like to make this one, have a look here. This is an Easter ones, but I’ve found these teapot cakes come in all sorts of designs and for all occasions.

Here’s a very cute birthday cake – and there are loads more HERE. People are so inventive with these teapot designs. I wouldn’t mind having a go at making one of these cakes myself. I bet an Arc Deco Clarice Cliff shape would be easier than these full-bodied ones though.

Meret Oppenheim tea cup, saucer and spoon

One of German born Surrealist Meret Oppenheim’s most famous pieces is this fur teacup and saucer. Apparently she got the idea from Picasso who remarked when they were having tea together that anything could be covered with fur. She obliged by producing the cup saucer and spoon. the surrealist like to subvert incongruous texture and objects. The fur used is from a Chinese gazelle and transposes the idea of genteel tea drinking women with a more sensuous image. I shall be writing a piece on this artist later.

gerry Congdon art quits

Teapots can be made from any material – even chocolate (as a past post proves). But fabric is so innovative! I really like this one from Gerrie Congdon’s Art Quilt Gallery which I think is amazingly quirky and fun. So lovely, I would be afraid to clean it – in fact how would I clean it?

Fabric teapot by Bombus Design

These fabric teapots are far and few between. I could hardly believe my luck when I found this stupendous one from Bombus Design . They have some beautiful fabric vessels and even fabric globe dishes!

I’ve not put any teapots on for quite a while now. That doesn’t mean I’ve gone off them. It just means it’s getting harder to find really unusaul ones. But, here’s a collection of Chocloate ones, that are about as much use as a – well chocolate teapot! Bet they taste good too. BuyHERE

Don’t these look delicious? No recipe, but you can oder them from HERE

gorgeous chocolate cakes/biscuits

So, you think it’s impossible to actually make a chocolate teapot? It’s all very well making one for decoration – but to actually brew tea in? Surely it’s not possible? Think again! Have a look at theisWEBSITE where they have actually done it!

Chocolate teapots can also be used in pranks, as seen in this Sainsbury message service

I spotted this video from 1941 which I thought was so comforting and nostalgic (even though I wasn’t around at the time – so I don’t quite know how the nostalgic bit quite works…) Though I have lots of teapots, I still make tea with the teabag in the cup. So it’s time for a refresher course, I think. Tea making has always been such a ritual. The warming of the pot, the boiling water, infusion, the pouring etc, Then theres the argument about the milk: does it go in first or after the tea has been poured? i’ve been brought up to put it in after the pouring. There’s something cheering about a kettle boiling, especially when it whistles. I don’t mind the smell of coffee, but when I do have a cup, I have to follow it with a cup of tea!

Just a quick little post tonight. I came across this stairway made of teapots! Well, it’s not just teapots it’s made of, there are many chards of pottery and ceramics in the mix.

woodland couple Tanya Nockler Golding

Also by the same person, this colourful ‘Woodland couple’. I love the simplicity and the country inspired glazes of this sort of work. The ceramics are both rustic, yet contemporary.

Tanya Nockler-Golding.jpg teapot and sugar

The shape is Clarice Cliff Art Deco, but the look is very now. Who wouldn’t want this on their breakfast table? Lovely and cheerful. There are other unusual ceramics, all with their own character by the same artist HERE

This strange , organic teapot really captured my imagination . This Raku ceramic, called ‘Wild Goat teapot – Homage to Paul Soldner’ is by Nina de Creeft Ward from The Beatrice Wood Centre for the Arts. I don’t know who Paul Soldner is, I just hope he was pleased with the wild goat reference! This teapot reminded me of a painting by Spanish artist and Printmaker Francisco de Goya'(1746 -1828). The painting goes under several names; ‘The Great He Goat’ or ‘The Coven,’ or ‘Witches Sabbath’ in 1820 -23. The painting shows a number of grotesque witches at their sabbath with Satan as the guest of honour. Some of the faces of the witches are truely terrifying. ‘The Witches Sabbath’ is one of a series of what is known as Goya’s Black Paintings. These paintings were done in later life (1819 – 1823) by a very depressed Goya, after he had survived two near fatal illnesses. They are dark and full of fear and show the artist’s anxiety.

The artist who the Arts Centre is named after (where the teapot came from) is Beatrice Wood and she was a very interesting character. This American artist and studio potter was born 1893 and died in 1998. In later life she became known as the ‘Mama of Dada’ a movement 1916 – 1922. I shall be writing about (eventually). An interesting fact about her is that the character of Rose DeWitt Bukater in the 1997 film Titanic was partially based on her.

I have had a look at her biography, which is fascinating and I must write about (eventually) and have found out who Paul Soldner was. He was an American ceramicist born in 1921 and his work is quite exciting! See it on his website HERE